Digital television in Australia

Digital television is a technology which is available via a number of types of services and providers in Australia. They mostly broadcast in high-definition television, which has become the de facto national standard.

History

Between 2001 and 2009, the number of homes with digital television rose from around 10,000 to an estimated 4,000,000.^[1]

The first digital channels provided by the national broadcaster, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation were the multi-channels, ABC Kids and Fly TV, between 2001 and 2003. The first enduring digital channel was launched in March 2005, named ABC2 (now ABC Family).^[1]

Types of providers

• Australian digital terrestrial television, branded as Freeview, is provided by a number of free-to-air channels in Australia, including that provided by the national broadcaster, on ABC Television.
• VAST, a free-to-view satellite television service that provides a service to remote areas, which replaced Optus Aurora.
• Foxtel, a commercial subscription satellite and cable television service.
• Optus Television, a subscription cable television service.
• TransTV, from TransACT, a subscription cable television service.

Historical Services

• Austar, a subscription satellite television service.
• Optus Aurora, a free-to-view satellite service, which ceased transmission in December 2013.
• UBI World TV was a subscription satellite television service offering predominantly ethnic channels between 2004 and June 2012. The company filed for bankruptcy and ceased trading in June 2012.^[2]

See also

• Television portal
• Australia portal

• Digital television transition
• High-definition television in Australia
• Internet television in Australia
• List of digital television channels in Australia
• Subscription television in Australia